I was looking at a bunch of very Light Weight Pellets on the net today. Interesting that they seem to be more expensive than the higher weight pellets, with fewer in the tin.

However, it crossed my mind that it "might" somehow be harmful to an Air Rifle if the pellets are too light. Kind of like Dry Firing it, but with a bit of resistance. Where perhaps the Heavier pellets would not create that kind of a situation at all.


So, the questions are - "Is a Light Pellet tougher on an Air Rifle than a Heavy pellet? Or, does it matter?

Hot Core, the reason I think that lighter pellets are more expensive is that the travel abit faster. Im not the only one that advises against the use of light pellets in a powerful airgun, say a gun that shoots +700fps. I only have experience with .177 air rifles and I certainly would not use any pellet under 8gr in any of my guns.

Exactly, they have too little cushioning effect. In a springer only.

Like the "Cleaning" pellets (that are useless any way).
If you use the fiber cleaning wads in a springer always put a pellet in behind it.
You shouldn't clean the barrel anyway, unless it's going in to storage to prevent rust.
Or change pellets maybe or you get some crap in it, like the old Accupell lube.

I have a sack of plastic .177 pellets they must be something like 1gr it's a laugh to shoot them out of my PCP they come SMOKING out, don't go far or straight, but make a SERIOUS CRACK, even with the silencer on, must be going way supersonic.

Thank you all. Glad I asked.

A guy gave me some match grade RWS pistol pellets. They were too light to be accurate in my rifle, very poor. A few years ago there was a group buy on a special custom designed .177 bullet mold made by Lee. This was a heavy (25 grains I think) pellet and the theory was that the heavy weight would carry a long distance and strike with the force of the hammer of Thor. Problem was it tumbled. Somebody came up with the idea you could shoot them backwards and get good accuracy. I tried that and didn't get good accuracy and penetration was terrible. Btw someone told Dick Cheney to shoot them backwards and he wounded three spectators at a match.

My RWS owners manual basically says dont clean the barrel---yet they sell cleaning pellets. Goes on to say pellets leave a beneficial residue. Also says working parts like piston and mainspring need no lubrication--yet they sell chamber lube and spring cylinder lube??? Most of us also shoot centerfires and do swab their barrels and thus have the urge to do so in air guns. If you are going to do it, care must be taken. I found you can use real heavy weed eater line and push a patch through---can't see doing damage to a metal barrel with plastic. In larger cals I use the smaller weed eater line and double it and push through the bore and put a piece of cloth in the loop and drag it through. Can pull a much tighter patch than you can push and again not worry about the plastic damaging anything. I don't buy patches--I buy cheap material and cut a piece of it--doesnt require perfect circle,rectangle or square.